Love Food Hate Waste announces new celebrity ambassadors
Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW), the national campaign body that aims to reduce food waste arisings, has appointed five celebrities as its ‘ambassadors’.
Actress and director Sunetra Sarker, best known for her role in television show Casualty and recent stinte on Strictly Come Dancing, joins celebrity chefs Rachel Khoo, James Strawbridge, Richard Fox and Shane Jordan have been appointed as ambassadors to support the nationwide campaign in halving avoidable household food waste by 2025.
According to LFHW, managed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), around 15 million tonnes of food is thrown away by UK householders each year, costing around £12.5 billion.
As such, it is hoped that the ambassadors will not only help spread the message of the environmental benefits of reducing food waste, but also help householders save money.
Speaking about her involvement, Sarker said: “It’s staggering to think that the food and drink thrown away every year from our homes could fill the Albert Hall more than 210 times….
“It’s environmentally damaging as well as a waste of time, energy, water and land. We need to urgently raise awareness of this issue and Love Food Hate Waste is doing just that. The campaign helps people to make the most of their food at home and save money through fantastic advice, guidance and information and I’m incredibly proud to support Love Food Hate Waste to help make a real difference.”
Strawbridge added: “As a chef I’m passionate about using great quality ingredients and like most people, I hate seeing them go to waste.
“Love Food Hate Waste is a great campaign and I am excited to be joining the team in the effort to help reduce food waste and help people to save money too. For me, catering for restaurants or feeding my young family offers the same challenge of portion control and trying to serve the right amount of food to stay healthy, satisfy my customers and avoid wasting money.”
Still work to be done
In November 2013, WRAP published its research on household food and drink waste levels, which found that between 2007 and 2012, avoidable household waste dropped by 21 per cent, equating to a saving of almost £13 billion.
However, it found that around 4.2 million tonnes of consumable food and drink were still being wasted every year, and that much of this could be avoided through education.
Celebrity chef Rachel Khoo commented: “Anyone who follows my blog will know I'm a big fan of loving leftovers, but for those who don't, this is why I'm supporting the Love Food Hate Waste campaign.
“This is something I feel passionate about; growing up in my house as a child we'd often eat a complete mish-mash of things - leftover roast meat and potatoes, some noodles and whatever else my Mum could find lurking in the fridge. These were meals I looked forward to and enjoyed every week, and it’s an ethos I've taken with me throughout my culinary career!”
LFHW launches overseas campaigns
The LFHW brand has been one of WRAP’s most successful campaigns, and for the year 2015/16 is focusing on campaigns in 10 UK cities: Belfast; Birmingham; Cardiff; Glasgow; Greater Manchester; Leeds; Liverpool City Region; Newcastle; Nottingham; and Sheffield.
Last year the campaign also launched its first international waste minimisation programme in Vancouver, Canada.
Metro Vancouver, a political body and corporate entity that delivers regional services, is now working with LFHW to deliver a three-year, web-based programme to educate its residents on the impact of food waste, encouraging them to use their local authorities’ food waste collection services.
Find out more about the work of Love Food Hate Waste or the problems of food waste.
